Stop-motion for knitting-machines



(No Model.) I

B. EBROWN & P. LASHBR.

, l STOP MOTIGN POR KNITTING MACHINES. No. 354,387. Patented Dec. 14, 1886.

mmmlu T Y ET WITNESEEE INVENI'EIRE Y EUGENE HERDWN.

FRANK LAsI-IER- N. PETERS. Prmm-Luwgmplm. wnhingtnn. D. cv

QthvrTED STATES PATENT (NEIGE.

EUGENE H. BROXVNQLXND FRANK LASHER, OF BENNINGTON, VERMONT.

STOP-MOTION FOR KNlTTlNG-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,387, dated December 14, 1886.

Application filed December 28, 18S5. Serial No. 186,840. (No model.)

To all whom,- z may concern:

Be it known that we, EUGENE H. BROWN and FRANK LAsHER, both of Bennington, in the county of Bennington and State ofv Vermont, have invented certain Improvements in Stop-Motions for KnittingMachines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying single sheet of drawings, constitutes a specification.

This invention relates to automatic mechanism for stopping circular or other k hitting-machines whenever,from any cause,holes are produced in the fabric by imperfect knitting or the breaking of needles, or when snarls or bunches of yarn accumulate upon or between the needles. It is more especially applicable to cylindrical knitting, although it is susceptible of application in other processes of knitting. lt embraces an adaptation of parts whereby the feelers which press against the fabric to detect holes or other imperfections,

, just above the needles and the parts connected y drive the machine.

with theni,and upon which they are mounted,

may be firmly held in reliable engagement while the knitting progresses normally; but if the feelers detect an imperfection amounting to a hole in the knitting, or encounter an accumulation of yarn on the needles, such results in the feelers being carried lforward. and along with such defect or impediment by the momentum of the cylinder, such forward movement Lof the feelers effecting partial rotation of a rock-shaft with which they are connected, whereby the shipping bar or lever is released and the same, by means of a spring provided for that purpose, is thrown over so as to stop the machine.

The novel parts of this invention consist in a cam having a notch, projection, or indent in its periphery with which a lug or pin at the end of an arm on the rock-shaft engages to constitute a locking apparatus to hold the feelers in position to their work,'and also to lock theshipper-bar in position for the belt to It also has a swivel-stud on the side thereof opposite the locking-in dent, perforated'for a connecting-rod, the other end of which 1s connected with a similar swivelstud attached to the shipper bar or lever. Gne important feature of our invention consists in the adjustment of the general line of action of the connectinglrod substantially at right angles with the armof the rock-shaft which carries thclocking pin or lug which cooperates with the indent on the cam.

Our invention is fully shown in the drawings, wherein Figure 1 exhibits an elevation of the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe same; and Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in horizontal section, on the line 1 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail View, partly in vertical section, on the line X X of Fig. 2.

Embodied as herein shown it is adapted to be used in connection with the common cylinder-frame for knitting tubular fabric like the bodies of undershirts, when the take-up is above the needles and the needles are attached to and revolve with the cylinder. As these knitting-machines areof the most common variety and are well known, we have not shown them.

7e provide a standard, A, which may be bolted to sonic convenient part of the machine-as the table, for instance-by the bolt Z. The upper section of this standard is constructed as a barrel or cylinder, B, chambered for the reception of a torsion-spring, B', one end of which is attached to the reduced lower end of a cap, B1, fitting within the cylinder and having aflange. resting on the upper edge ofthe latter, and the other is connected .with the rock-shaft C. The tension of said spring is adjusted by turning t-he cap either to the right or left,and fastening it by the setscrew a. .This rock-shaft C carries at its top what we, have designated as an actuatingarm,77 D. This consists of a cross-head, of which the central portion constitutes a cla1nping-hub having two jaws, c c, which embrace the shaft C, and are gripped by a set-screw. One arm of this cross-head is shaped as an ordinary handle for conveniently affecting the rotation of the rockshaft,while the other end, D, is made hollow to receive a spring, Et, the office of which is to force the round-ended blade E (called a feeler) against the knit cloth j ust above the tops of the needles.

Immediately beneath and a little ahead of feeler E the elamp-plate Fis attached to arm D. This claw is provided with an elongated slot, a, through which passes a screw, a', for securing it in place and allowing it to be lon- ICO Vlocking-pin H.

gitudinally adjusted. The claw is usually set so as to readily catch any yarn, waste, or iiyings which may catch in the needles and from any cause accumulate thereon. The action of these parts is such that if feeler E is caught in a hole or claw F is caught by a snarl of yarnV on the needles, either will, as the cylinder advances, drag the feeler or claw with it and thus cause a partial rotation of the shaft C.

Shaft G has at its bottom what we have designated as a lockingvarmf G, from the outer end and under side of which depends the Shaft C has a limited movement from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3. AThe pin H co-operateswith the locking-indent Y, (shown on plan in Fig. 3,) of cam I, which rotates about stud J. On the upper side of cam I is the swivel-stud K, which is perforated for the reception of the connecting-rod M. It is also provided with a binding-screw, L, whereby the adjustment of the rod M in the stud may be secured. Asimilar perforated swivel-stud, N, is pivoted on hub P of the shipping-bar Q, which works in slides R R, which may be attached t-o any con venient part of the machine or its appurtenanees. This shipping-bar is provided with a fork, U, Which spans the driving-belt and shifts it from the driving to the idle pulley, or vice versa, as required.

The particular style of shipping device forms no specific part of our invention, as

.they are of various kinds-a handle or lever being common varieties.

A prominent feature of the invention is the cam-face V of the cam I. This cam-face eX- tends from the lockingnotch Y to the concentric portion W of the edge of the cani. Its

office, as the cam rotates after being unlocked or released, is to force pin H and arm G around into the position seen in Fig. 3. Considered in relation to the forward movement of the knitting-cylinder such'rotation of the rockshaft C causes the feeler E or claw F to quickly swing backwardlyand out of engagement with the defect in the knit fabric. rI'he spring B Within the cylinder B serves to hold the pin H normally in engagement with the lockingindent Y.

It will be seen from the drawings that when the parts are set or adjusted for knitting, as shown in Fig. 2, the pivotal centers of motion N, L, and J are approximately in a line is locked for the machine to run in a direction tending to force rod M forward in the direction of the retraction of the spring, which would canse cam I to rotate about its center J in the direction of the arrow, seen next to its periphery, around into the position shown in Fig. 8. By adjusting these several operative parts and centers of movement N, K, and J in the manner shown the least possible bindin-g restraint and pressure are brought to bear on locking-pin H when set7 and as a consequence the amount of force applied either to the feeler E or the claw F necessary to rotate rock-shaft C is reduced to a minimum.

IVe claim as our inventionl. The combination of the vertical rockshaft having an actuating-arm and a lockingarm, and provided with a spring to impel its rotation in a direction to bring the feelers against. the fabric above the needles or in the path of obstructions accumulated thereon, a rotating cam having provisions for engaging with or being locked in working position by the lockingfarm of the rock-shaft, a shipping bar or lever provided with a spring having its tension .adjusted to actuate the shipper to stop the machine, and an adjustable rod connecting the cam with the shipping-bar or lever, substantially in the manner described, and for the purposes set forth;

2. rIhecombinatiornwith asupporting-standard,of a vertical rock-shaft having an arm, D, at its upper end and a lockingarm at its lowerend, the locking-pin H, the cam I, connecting-rod M, shipping-bar Q, and spring S,

vsubstantially as set forth.

ICO 

